


Till Death Do Us Part

by FridayKnights



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Falling In Love, M/M, Mission Fic, Near Death Experiences, Original Character Death(s), Pining Kakashi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-01-23 09:36:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12504432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FridayKnights/pseuds/FridayKnights
Summary: Iruka, along with Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi, get sent on an undercover mission into tea country. Things go well, at first, and during a gruesome battle Kakashi remembers the words of a dying teammate, “Iruka is a man worth dying for.”Kakashi knew that, now, to be fact.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A handful of poems from Milk and Honey By Rupi Kaur really grasped Kakashi’s feelings towards Iruka and inspired me while writing! 
> 
> I’m also challenging myself with this fic. I tend to write stories that are dialogue heavy, but with this story I’m attempting to stray away from that and write more descriptively. Feedback is always appreciated! As always, sorry for any spelling or grammar errors, my works are not beta read.
> 
> It’s okay to point out words I misspelled, I will gladly fix the ones I missed! I write on my phone and autocorrect is NOT my friend... lol
> 
> (the name of this fic Before was Milk and Honey)

* * *

 

 

_you look like you smell of_

_honey and no pain_

_let me have a taste of that_

\- rupi kaur

 

* * *

 

 

Summers in Konoha were sweltering hot. It was rare to see any clouds hovering above, only the bright sun surrounded by a perfectly blue sky.

There weren't many places except for home where a shinobi could escape from the summer heat, unless they were willing to take missions in the north. The land of Iron was winter all year round, and all the small villages surrounding it were snow covered or at the very least chilly throughout the seasons. It was a blessing and a curse for the shinobi native to those parts of the country.

Kakashi hated the summer. Summer meant bugs, and lots of them. Mosquitos were highly attracted to the scent and taste of his blood, it seemed. He felt as if he had an aggressive hurdle of them following him around the village. The copy nin was constantly smacking them off of his neck and arms. The poor jonin has never been so red and itchy in his life!

With Naruto back in the village that meant he had to listen to the young boy complain. Though he didn't have it as bad as Iruka, who was with Naruto more than he was away from him, Kakashi still wanted to wring Naruto's neck after being stuck in the hot forest with him for numerous hours. He could only handle so much.

They were training, which was nostalgic, but Kakashi could feel his skin start to boil. He knew he'd look like a tomato by the time the session was over! He'd had a horrible tan line on his face because of his mask and on his feet because of his sandals. There wasn't enough sunblock in the world that could protect Kakashi's pasty white skin. He sighed to himself as the back of his neck started to burn.

 

  
Iruka was enjoying himself at home. With the fan blowing directly on him and an ice cold drink in his hand, he was all set. Summer meant no school! He'd take missions for sure, but they were well spaced out. There was nothing wrong with taking some time to relax, Iruka wasn't granted with opportunities like these often!

Naruto was out training with Kakashi and Sakura. He laughed to himself and thought _better them than me!_

Iruka was happy Naruto was back, he missed the boy dearly! But he also forgot how tiring it was to listen to Naruto speak for hours on end. It was Kakashi's turn to watch him. Iruka didn't mind sitting in from of the fan with ice water and a book he'd been meaning read for weeks.

Iruka would admit he missed teaching while the academy was on break, but sleeping in during the week was down right heavenly! He could go to bed when he wanted on most nights, and not have to roll out of bed before the crack of dawn to teach a classroom full of pre genin hellions.

It was nice to spend some time at home, but after a while it made Iruka feel a little lonely. When he did have company over it was usually Naruto mooching a meal off of him, or staying the night after a mission. Sometimes Kotetsu and Izumo would drop by, but that was rare. Other academy teachers would come over to discuss teaching regimes or ask for advice on dealing with troublesome students. Overall, Iruka's nights were spent alone with a hot cup of tea and a good book.

"Now I'm just making myself depressed." He sighed and snapped his book shut.

He'd been reading a cheesy romance novel. Fukimo-sensei has let him borrow it weeks ago, he still needed to return it.

Naruto insisted that Iruka ask Fukimo out on a date. She was a young chunin sensei like himself, he was only a year or so older than she was. Her black hair was long, and tied back into a neat bun. She was tan skin, with baby blue eyes and two beauty marks under her left eye. She was about the same height as Iruka, with a nice frame. Fukimo was a beautiful woman. That was undeniable. Every other man at the academy was head over heels for her and had every reason to be.

It wasn't like Iruka didn't like her. He liked her a lot, actually, but there was something about her that he could never quite put his finger on. Though she was nice and pleasant company there was something about her that made Iruka wonder. 

Fukimo seemed to be interested in him, though. One night out with a friend didn't seem so bad. Iruka wasn't a stranger to one night stands either, if he could ever get so lucky with her. But he wasn't interested in a relationship, at least not with a woman. He liked Fukimo in every way that wasn’t romantic.

He pushed that thought into the back of his head. Iruka would settle on "I'm not asking her out because I'm only romantically attracted to men, but because there's something about her that's off that I can’t figure out." That was half bullshit, and half truth. Iruka called it: truthshit.

Understanding his sexual attraction was easy for Iruka after he hit puberty. There was no confusion for him, he found men attractive as well as women, that was clear to him. His first time was with a girl, his second time was with a boy he was on a mission with. Iruka recognized it for what it was. He just liked girls and boys the same. To him that was simple.

What wasn't simple was dating. Actually dating. Not just getting horny and having sex, actual relationships.

The first time he ever received an honest confession he was eighteen. Before then he'd only engaged in casual encounters that never amounted to anything more, and Iruka liked it that way, but when Rika confessed to him, he froze. When he turned her away she cried and slapped him in the face for leading her on. Never once did he intend to do such a thing. Rika was a pretty girl who liked it rough and talked dirty, but Iruka hadn't thought about dating her. Not because she wasn't good enough like she implied, but because he never saw women in that.

Iruka assumed at that age it was because he never dated before. He never really had crushes either, except for the little crush he had on Kakashi during his teen years. But who didn't have a crush on the lone Hatake? Pretty much everyone did, young and old. He hadn't really known Kakashi in the way, they’d been on a few missions together, but nothing more and nothing less. Iruka imagined bending Kakashi over hundreds of times, but never acted on that impulse. From what he knew, the copy nin was straight. Iruka never had the guts to ask.

His first real crush was on Mizuki. Iruka hadn't realized it before that it was a genuine crush until he was older. He had always admired Mizuki, he had always thought he was cute and good company even when they were just genin themselves. Iruka admitted that his feelings for Mizuki were rather serious. He still felt bad for Rika, but his heart was somewhere else.

Mouths later him and Mizuki started to date.

Everything was going great. Not only was Mizuki a good friend to him, he was a lover. Iruka never wanted anything more.

They spent countless hours eating at their favorite spots and going on dates when not caught up with missions. Everything had fallen into its rightful place. Before he knew it, Iruka was madly in love. Mizuki claimed he was in love, too.

When Mizuki was labeled a traitor to Konoha, Iruka had never felt more betrayed. His boyfriend, ex boyfriend now, left him with sever scar tissue on his back, partial nerve damage around his spine that almost cost him his ability to walk, as well as other scars from the various kunai that had lodged into his skin. Iruka looked a mess, bandaged from head to toe and laying on his stomach in a hospital bed. The only other time he allowed himself to cry so much was after his parent’s death. 

 

Iruka had been questioned and interrogated for months after the incident. It wasn't wrong of Konoha to think he was a traitor, too. After all, he'd been sleeping with one for years. It was astonishing how Iruka didn't have a damn clue what Mizuki was planning. It took nearly a year for the shinobi around Iruka to trust him again. He didn't blame them for being weary, but he wished everyone would just forget it and give him a chance.

Trust was a funny thing to Iruka. There wasn't anyone he truly trusted aside from Naruto. His other students? They could turn on him at any moment if seen fit. He doubted that would ever happen, but Iruka was a realist. He couldn't see into the future and say with the upmost confidence that someone who once cared for him would never hurt him again. Naruto was the only person that Iruka could see never hurting him. The boy was pure at heart and their bond was unbreakable. Iruka was at least thankful for that.

A tapping from his window broke Iruka away from his thoughts. It was a mission hawk with a letter attached to its leg. Iruka didn't waste any time and read the summons.

He was needed for a mission.

 

 

 

All Kakashi wanted to do was a simple tracking exercise with Sakura and Naruto. He had set up clones around the dense forest for them to track down and capture without killing- or dispersing, for the matter. Sakura was doing well, she successfully tracked down four of his clones and was able to return two of them in chakra cuffs. The other two had been punched into oblivion when they engaged her in a fight. Sometimes that girl just didn't know her own strength!

Naruto was, to put it simply, a lost cause. They'd been at it for hours and he was yet to bring back one clone. He'd either fall for all the textbook tricks that threw off an enemy's trail or engaged the clone with too much forced and caused it to poof away.

Kakashi was tired from making so many clones, and from being under the sweltering sun. He was cherry red and sticky from his own sweat. He just wanted a cold shower and a big meal. Also, a lot of aloe Vera to slather on to his skin. Maybe he'd just soak himself in a bath of aloe, that sounded damn good!

"Let me try one more time, Kakashi-sensei! I won't shove my Rasengan through it's gut this time, I swear!" Naruto was whining yet again. Fake tears streamed down his cheeks as he fell to his knees. Talk about dramatic.

Sakura and Kakashi both rolled their eyes.

"Not a chance, Naruto. If I make another clone I'll pass out."

"Aw, come on!"

"Another time, Naruto." Sakura tugged him off of the ground by his shirt. "Let's just rest for now. There's always tomorrow."

"Tomorrow I'll capture 100 clones and report them all back to you, sensei! You'll see!" Naruto was suddenly giddy again. His eyes were wide and bright like usual.

100 clones... Kakashi grimaced at the thought. He didn't want tomorrow to come.

A bird squawked at the three from a branch behind them. Kakashi immediately recognized to hawk. They were being summoned for a mission. The copy nin prayed it was somewhere cold.

 

—

 

Tsunade was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Konoha was currently on good terms with most countries and sister villages. There were a few exceptions, but nothing major that would spark any civil wars. Not every country and their leaderships could get along, that was fact.

The land of tea was a small sister village south west of the land of iron. It bordered earth and rock and was one of the few places that never got too cold nor too hot at any given point in the year. Because of their climate they grew the best tea, and had the best soil. It was rare for Konoha nin to visit there, though. Earth country and Iron had plenty of capable shinobi for them to hire.

“The rock” was tea country, the “hard place” was finding shinobi willing to venture that far out for an extended period of time. It was a tracking mission, nothing too complex. A simple "do not engage" kind of mission.

To Tsunade's approval, there were a handful of shinobi under her jurisdiction that had been to tea country on official missions. Over the last ten years only three teams had been sent out to that area, but only one shinobi remained: Umino Iruka.

When he was nineteen his team had been sent to Tea country for a scroll trading mission. It was a diplomatic mission, just a few important scrolls filled with legal mumbo jumbo that dealt with trade. Konoha had a tea shop that bought their leaves from tea country, but other than that there were no ties between the two lands.

Tsunade read Iruka's file carefully. He was a skilled chunin, very intelligent and a quick thinker, he showed skill in barrier ninjutsu and a type of sensing ability. Iruka could use echolocation. His file said it wasn't to it's full potential, but it also hadn't been updated in close to five years. If Iruka is anything like she assumes, that may no longer be the case.

Iruka was the key to the mission. With his sensing ability and his knowledge of the area, he'd been leading his team in the tracking of the enemy nins.

"You summoned me, Tsunade-sama?" Iruka stood before her and bowed. "Is it a mission?"

"Yes it is, Iruka. I'll give the details once your team arrives."

"My team?" The last few missions Tsunade sent him on were solo missions. "Who are they? If I may ask."

"Hey! It's Iruka-sensei!" Naruto pushed Kakashi out of his way, making the jonin stumble, and pulled his favorite sensei in for a tight hug.

"Oi, Naruto! Don't hug me so tight! I can't breath!"

"Team Kakashi reporting, hokage-sama." Kakashi said after catching his balance. "You have a mission for us?"

"I have a mission for you all, actually." She said. They all looked back at her surprised. "A tracking mission in Tea Country. Iruka here is the only remaining shinobi in our village to have ever been to Tea Country."

"Ah, right. A cheesy scroll trade off a few years back. I forgot about that."

"Well, your knowledge of the area is going to be needed for this, as well as your sensing ability. That is up to par, is it not, Iruka?" The hokage rested her chin in hand as she stared at Iruka, waiting for a response.

"Y-yes.. I wouldn't say I've mastered it, but I've put more practice into my ability. I'm much more confident in it."

"Eh?! Iruka-sensei! You never told me you were a sensor!" Naruto complained.

"It's more echolocation than anything. I hear chakra, it's a difficult thing to master." He explained. "Having to distinguish between the different humming noises of chakra isn't as easy as it sounds. But once I can perfectly place it, I get a clear outline image of the person in my mind, I just need to single them out and separate their chakra from everyone else around them. It's a daunting task, truthfully."

"Wow, that's really cool Iruka-sensei!" Sakura said. "It'll be fun to work with both of our teachers, right Naruto?"

"Hell Yeah! I can show you both all the new things I learned while I was away with the Pervy Sage!"

"Not so fast, brat!" Tsunade interrupted him. Naruto just sulked. "This isn't a mission where you'll be engaging any enemies. This is tracking. You'll be gathering information on two men while you're there. Unless absolutely necessary, there will be no conflict. Do you understand me?"

Naruto gulped and nodded.

"Here." She slid a folder across her desk. "Sawamura Remi, and Ushiten Rei are your targets. Suspected to be pushing illegal chakra pills across the borders. Your job is to gather proof and report back to me. We'll dispatch an anbu team to clean up the mess."

"What exactly is proof, if I may ask?" Sakura spoke up. She was the one to grab the folder.

"Anything you can get." The hokage put it simply. "You're all capable shinobi. It can be a photograph, a written confession, I don't care. Just come back with proof, or disprove Tea Country's suspicions."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Kakashi, you're the jonin in charge of this mission."

"Of course."

"As of right now, this is just a b rank mission. And not one that'll happen over night. You'll be posing as civilians there. Tea Country was nice enough to provide you with a home on the outskirts of their capital. The rest of the details are in the file. You have three days to prepare. You're all dismissed!"

 

 

 

Everyone went to Iruka's place to discuss the finer details. He put a frozen pizza in the oven for them all to eat. When he came back from the kitchen Kakashi was sitting directly in front of the fan hogging the air. Thank god for the air conditioning in the apartment building or Naruto would be screaming that he was hot and Kakashi was hogging the fan- which he most certainly was.

Naruto and Sakura were sitting on the couch looking through the mission folder. Kakashi had the fan placed in front of him with his butt parked in the love seat. Iruka could either nudge one of his students over or kick Kakashi out of his favorite chair. He really didn't want to do either, so he dragged a chair from the kitchen and settled on that.

Sakura passed him the file to read. The mission did seem pretty straight forward. They would pose as civilians, hang around town at sports their targets are known to be at, and track their movements until they find some sort of proof that they are smuggling illegal chakra pills over the borders.

They all had to go by code names for the mission. Kakashi was Takeshi, Sakura was Sanna, Naruto was Niko, and Iruka decided his faux name would be Ichiro. They were all part of the Yokoyama family, Takeshi and Ichiro were raising young Sanna and Niko on their own. If anyone were to ask, they took in the teens after their biological parents passed away.

To keep themselves from being recognized, they all would have to make a few changes. Naruto would be wearing makeup to cover the marks on his cheeks, while Iruka and Kakashi would be doing the same to hide their facial scars. Sakura would be wearing a dark colored wig, and Naruto would simply wear a hat to cover most of his head.

Kakashi decided he'd use chakra to grow out his hair and tie it up in a low ponytail. It'd keep his hair from looking crazy and recognizable, it wasn't uncommon to see his hair color though, so he didn’t need to change that. He'd have a contact over his sharingan to perfect his disguise. He'd still be wearing a mask, but just a paper one. Or a scarf if it was chilly outside. The climate there would be cool after nightfall.

Iruka would let his hair down for the mission. It was rare for anyone to see him with it down, anyways. And without the scar he looked like any other brunette man in the streets. Sometimes Iruka did think he was rather normal looking. There wasn’t much aside from his facial scar that made him stand out.

The team was given a list of places Remi and Rei were seen at on a regular basis. A bar, a restaurant, a tea house, and a park. They’d have to make themselves regulars at all of those places without being too noticeable.

Sakura suggested they use a tape recorder. She had a few at home and didn't mind buying blank discs before the mission. It was a good idea, they could try and catch them talking about the pills and have the proof all recorded. Carrying around a recorder may be difficult though, but so would carrying around a camera.

"Not unless I say I'm a photographer." Kakashi suggested. "That we travel constantly because of my work, that's why we're settling in Tea Country for some time."

A photograph or an oral confession were their best bets. Iruka was willing to take those chances.

He hadn't been a mission with Kakashi in years. It was months before he became an academy instructor that they were assigned together for a B rank that went south rather quickly. Their three man cell was ambushed on the way home, Kakashi and Iruka were the only ones to return.

Iruka had tried to cheer up Kakashi afterwards, he had been beating himself up over the loss of their teammate because he was the team captain. Kakashi was blaming himself. They'd both been injuried, too. Iruka had a broken ankle and bruised ribs, and a few nasty gashes from the enemy's sword, and though Kakashi was left with a few fractured bones and a shit ton of new bruises and scars, he checked up on Iruka regularly.

Kakashi made it a point to visit him at home while he was resting. He brought over ramen a few times and dropped it off along with some pain medicine for his foot. The medinin's had dealt with most of the pain already, but Iruka was still walking funny on it. Kakashi was worried too much.

After the third time Iruka invited him in to help him finish the ramen. Truthfully, he could have eaten it all in one sitting, but he wanted to talk to Kakashi. The man was always nice and showed his respects to Iruka, but this was a whole new level of niceness. Kakashi didn't need to bring him lunch on a regular basis, nor did he need to make sure Iruka was keeping his foot elevated and taking his pain medication. That was more domestic than Iruka could handle. Mizuki hadn’t even been so caring during his recovery. 

Iruka was surprised when Kakashi accepted his invitation to come inside. He thought the copy nin would blow him off and just leave him with his food and pills, but he stepped over the threshold, took off his sandals and walked into the kitchen. So Iruka offered him a drink, though all he had was water and beer. They both went with the latter.

After a couple of beers they talked.

"I appreciate everything you're doing for me, Kakashi-san. I really mean it! But you don't have to keep checking up on me, I'm alright. I promise you."

Kakashi didn't answer. He swirled around the contents of his beer and took a deep breath before downing the rest. So Iruka continued.

"You're really beating yourself up over Tetsu's passing. Trust me, I am too. I just think you're taking it worse than you should be."

"He died protecting you." Kakashi said. His voice was close to a whisper.

"Yes he did. I can't see anything other than him dying in my arms when I try to fall asleep at night. It's okay that you blame yourself, Kakashi, but just know I'm the one at fault."

"No. He firmly believed you were worth protecting. I heard him say it, that you were worth dying for." Kakashi locked his eyes with Iruka. They narrowed slightly. "Before the mission he mentioned how he felt about you, and that you're already shacked up with some asshole. His words, not mine."

"Ah, well.." Iruka found himself blushing at that. "Yes, I am seeing someone. Tetsu did confess to me about a month ago. We had been really good friends before, I just.."

"It's not important, really. I've known him for a while too. If he thinks you're important enough to die for, I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Kakashi twisted the cap off of another beer bottle and carefully took a swig. He could feel the light buzz washing over him. It felt nice.

"I appreciate that, Kakashi. Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I'm just being selfish, as usual."

"Excuse me?"

Kakashi just waived his hand dismissively. "It's nothing, don't worry."

Iruka knew better than to not worry. There was something Kakashi wasn't telling him.

"It wouldn't hurt if you found someone for yourself, Kakashi." The copy nin glared at the chunin. "Sorry! That's none of my business anyways. I was just trying to.. I just.. you deserve to be happy too, you know?"

"Didn't I say I was selfish? I always want what I can't have, and more than anything I hate to share."

Iruka knew he pressed a button he shouldn't have. The jonin pushed the beer bottle away from himself and rose to his feet. With as much respect as he could, Kakashi excused himself from Iruka's home.

The two didn't speak again until Naruto graduated the academy and was placed under Kakashi's care. After that, everything went smoothly. They chatted each other up at every given opportunity. Kakashi felt something inside of himself ignite whenever they spoke. He was slowly beginning to understand Tetsu’s feelings.

Iruka was the type of man any damaged person would blindly be grasping for. His eyes were full of life. His words were often kind and always intelligent. His skin was soft, but scarred as if he understood. Iruka was paradise in a bottle. Kakashi wanted to unlid him and take a sip. Iruka was the sweetness he craved on his lips. 

 

 

When Mizuki was branded a traitor  Kakashi couldn't say he was surprised. Something about that guy had rubbed him the wrong way from the start, but it was wrong to suspect fellow shinobi with no solid proof. He wished that he had some before to save Iruka from the heartache and pain, but on the contrary to everyone's beliefs, Kakashi was not a miracle worker. He was just a man. More specificity a ghost in a man's shell. Some days he really did feel as if he was nothing more than just flesh and bone that moved mechanically as per the hokage's request.

Kakashi was part of the team that interrogated Iruka. He raided the man's apartment that he once shared with Mizuki and was told to tear the place apart. There were feelings of guilt and hurt in Kakashi's heart as he searched. There was only one other home that Iruka knew and the nine tails had ripped that away from him. Now it was Kakashi and a fellow anbu tearing apart everything from the floorboards to the dressers. After hours of questioning and ‘brain breaking-and-entering’ from Inoichi, Iruka wouldn't even have a home to go to.

Even after he was cleared as innocent, people treated Iruka differently. Kakashi never had a doubt that Iruka was innocent, the last thing he'd even think of Iruka was that he was a traitor. It was a gut feeling and Kakashi usually trusted his gut. Iruka was a good guy, there weren't many people left in the world with a heart as pure as his.

So Iruka stayed with Naruto for some time while he apartment hunted. Around the time that Kakashi was gifted team 7, Iruka was moving in to a new apartment building that was in perfect walking distance of the academy. At least the chunin had that going for him.

It would be dumb to deny the feelings Kakashi had for Iruka, and even though he was single again the copy nin couldn't get himself to make a move. Partly because 1) Iruka was just dating a traitor to Konoha, people would look at them both under a very suspicious lens, and 2) Naruto would probably kill Kakashi for dating his precious person. That thought alone was enough to turn him off for a few months. Kakashi started to be civil with Iruka. They talked of team 7's progress over drinks or ramen every couple of weeks. After a while the conversations turned personal and the two became aquatinted. Kakashi would go as far as to call the two of them friends. 

If Kakashi couldn't have him as anything more than a friend it was okay. At least Iruka was good company and a good drinking buddy. 

 

—

 

As Iruka stood outside of Fukimo’s door, he knew it was a bad idea. He had a bottle of wine in his hand and a condom in his back pocket. He left for his tracking mission in two days and didn't know how long he'd be gone for. Iruka assumed getting some action before he left Konoha would do him good. He'd need to be as relaxed as possible if he was going to be stuck with Naruto and Kakashi for god knows how long. Sakura was a good girl, he could handle her, but with the way she bumped heads with Naruto, he might just get sick of her too.

Fukimo opened the door after a moment with nothing but a towel wrapped around her torso. All Iruka could see were her lean legs, bare and dripping water on to the floor. Her hair was damp and clinging to the soft skin of her shoulders. Iruka wanted to take her right then and there.

Her smirk was playful, but oh so sinful.

"Come in Iruka-kun. I was hoping you'd stop by~" she opened the door wider and allowed him to pass. He didn't miss how her towel fell just a bit to expose some of her breasts.

"I'm thinking I won't need the wine." Iruka teased as he stepped into her apartment. The bottle rolled off someone on the floor as Fukimo slammed the door shut and her towel dropped.

They never made it to the bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \- Iruka finds out two shocking things about Kakashi all in one day and doesn’t know how to handle it all at once. 
> 
> \- Flashback to the last mission Iruka and Kakashi went on. Things did not end pretty. Now Kakashi has a promise to keep.

 

* * *

_there is a difference between_  
_someone telling you_  
_they love you and_  
_them actually_  
_loving you_

  
_\- Rupi Kaur_

 

* * *

 

Kakashi couldn't believe his eyes. Well, he could. They were damn good eyes that got him into bingo books for a reason. His eyes were to be trusted, but he still couldn't believe what he saw.

It was Iruka. The apartment building across from him housed mostly female chunin of their age bracket. That was no big deal, and certainly not why Kakashi moved into the jonin complex across from it. The area was quiet and didn't get too much traffic from civilians, and it was cheap. Most of the jonin men in his building liked to walk across the street and shack up with the women they knew that lived there. Kakashi was probably the only man in his building who hadn't been over there. The last person he expected to see knock on any of those doors was Iruka.

He was just getting home from sparring with Gai when he noticed a familiar chakra. He turned around from opening his own apartment door to find the woman directly across from him in nothing but a towel and Iruka standing before her. She lost her towel at some point and opened the door for Iruka to enter. Kakashi had never seen anyone jump on a woman so fast! The door slammed shut, Kakashi had heard it from where he was standing across the street. 

 _Well damn.._ he thought and entered his home. 

Kakashi couldn't help but wait for Iruka to leave, but when it was well into the night he knew Iruka wasn't going home anytime soon. Kakashi needed to sleep and not worry over Iruka’s sex life. It wasn’t his business.  

The chunin ended up spending the night with Fukimo. Iruka was cheerful and physically glowing as he sneaked out of the apartment in the early hours of the morning. Kakashi assumed they were at it all night.

He definitely approved of Iruka's stamina. He choked back his jealously and cursed himself for now being asleep yet. He stayed up all night being nosey and waiting for Iruka to leave.

Kakashi fell asleep well after the sun came up. He’d regret it later when Gai hunted him down for another challenge while he was still half asleep.

—

Naruto couldn't wait to show off to Iruka! He couldn't wait to show off to everyone, really. He could show Sakura all the new things he learned, too! There was no way she wouldn't be impressed! But then he remembered this wasn't a combat mission. It was a boring tracking mission where they had false personas. It was a new learning experience for Naruto, though. He was used to being up close and personal when fighting an enemy. Naruto thought he’d be bored the whole mission.

He'd get to share a house with his favorite people, if he were to only look at the positive aspects of the mission. They were sharing a two bedroom home, and he'd be sharing a room with Sakura. Separate beds, but the same room. Naruto was in heaven. They could eat meals together like they used to. Naruto even learned to cook a little. He could impress Sakura that way!

Iruka would be impressed that Naruto learned to cook, too. Kakashi probably wouldn't touch the food and call it toxic.

Naruto wondered if he would be able to see under Kakashi's mask for the first time! But that thought was shut down when he realized he could just wear a paper mask or a scarf around his face. He'd probably eat in private to avoid his students from seeing his face. He'd been hiding it for years, and as optimistic as Naruto was, he didn't want to hold his breath.

He found himself thinking about Iruka again. His teacher was someone he held very close to his heart. To put it simply, Iruka meant the world to Naruto. He was the first person to ever acknowledge the boy, they had a bond that couldn't be broken.

Naruto was there that night that Mizuki betrayed the village. Years later he found out that Iruka and Mizuki were involved, and he hated that bastard even more! The Pervy sage told him the whole story: Iruka and Mizuki were dating, Mizuki was a traitor the whole time, Iruka was questioned as an accomplice but later found innocent. Naruto knew Iruka was innocent without even thinking about it. It was Iruka, after all. Why would anyone think otherwise?

He noticed Iruka hanging out with a woman after he returned to the village. Her name was Fukimo. Naruto thought she was beautiful and very sweet. She seemed to be interested in Iruka, too. So of course Naruto was nudging them to get together. Iruka deserved to be happy with someone and Naruto approved of her.

"Just ask her out, Iruka-sensei!"

"No way! We're friend! Coworkers!" Iruka was frowning. "You're make nothing into something. My feelings for Fukimo-San aren't romantic."

"Eh?! Why not, Iruka-sensei? She's a good girl!"

"Naruto, can we not talk about this please? Let's just enjoy our ramen." 

Naruto couldn't complain when Iruka was the one buying.

—-

Fukimo was still asleep when Iruka snuck out of her apartment. It took him some time to find all of his belongs. He had no idea how his pants ended up in the kitchen, and how his shirt was in the living room. His headband was still by the door with his shoes.

Iruka dressed and left without saying a word, but he left the wine for her to drink. The bottle was still unopened but instead of being on the floor Iruka was nice enough to place it in the fridge before he left.

Their night together had been amazing. Fukimo was so full over energy and passion. They went three rounds before exhaustion took over. Iruka only woke up when the sun started to burn his face through the bedroom window. She was snuggled under Iruka, but he was skilled enough to slip away.

He really shouldn't haven't spent the night. Iruka didn't want her to get the wrong idea. The sexual attraction was there, but nothing more. He didn't want to have that conversation with another woman because they never seemed to understand.

The walk home was nice though. It wasn’t too hot out yet so Iruka stopped at the store to buy himself something for breakfast. He was awake much earlier than he liked, but after last night it was oh so worth it. Iruka was as bubbly as ever. It'd been too long since he last had some action.

He hooked up with a few guys after the Mizuki incident, but his last shack up was right after Naruto left with Jiraiya. Almost two years ago had been too damn long! No wonder Iruka had been so stressed out and agitated. But today was a new leaf and Iruka felt amazing.

Nothing could change that.

 

 

  
In the afternoon Kakashi found himself at Iruka's doorstep. Totally mission related. They were leaving tomorrow and he wanted to speak of some specifics. Also, he wanted to ask about that girl Fukimo without sounding like he was being nosey or jealous. Kakashi was neither, just curious about the pair- that’s what he convinced himself to believe, anyways.

"Are you just gonna stand there? Or are you gonna come in?" Iruka said through the door before opening it. He was clearly teasing. There was a goofy smile on his face when he opened the door to greet Kakashi.

"Maa, sensei~ I was hoping you could sense my chakra and read my thoughts."

"I don't think I wanna know all the dirty things that go on up there," Iruka joked "but you might teach me a thing or two."

"You're the teacher, not me." Kakashi went along with the teasing. "I'm sure you'd be the one giving me a lesson."

"Wouldn't you love that? Now get in here. You're letting out all the cold air!"

Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Can I ask why you're over?"

"Am I not allowed to visit you, sensei?"

They both sat at the kitchen table. It was similar to the old apartment that Iruka had before. Just a little smaller, but Iruka was the only occupant now. There was no significant other to share his personal space with any longer. Naruto didn't count. He'd been away for two years and though he visited when he had the chance, it wasn't the same. Kakashi guessed that would changed if things worked out with the woman.

"I saw your walk of shame this morning." Kakashi said as he sipped on the tea Iruka had place in front of him.

"There was nothing shameful about it. It's nice to know you're still keeping an eye on me." Iruka was clearly being sarcastic as he sat across from Kakashi.

"That woman lives in the building across from mine. I just happened to see you leaving." He said. "Are you two...?"

"Oh please, now you sound like Naruto." Iruka rolled his eyes. "Speaking of Naruto, please don't tell him. He's been trying to play matchmaker. My feelings for Fukimo are anything _but_ romantic. I don't think he'd understand."

"My lips are sealed, promised."

"Thanks. Since you brought up something weird, Can I?" Iruka vaguely gestured to Kakashi's face. He didn't mind showing it to Iruka. He knew the chunin wouldn't go around with a bullhorn telling everyone what laid underneath his mask.

"My face?" Kakashi questioned. "What about it?"

"Not so much your face, your lip." Iruka pointed at his own upper lip. Kakashi got the hint.

He'd been born with a cleft palate that was later fixed when he was a toddler. He'd always work a scarf around his face, and then later a mask, originally to hide the scarring on his upper lip. Iruka found it endearing. He made it clear that he wasn't trying to make Kakashi uncomfortable or self conscious, but he rather liked the fact that Kakashi wasn't perfect looking. Even with the scars he was pretty attractive. Iruka wouldn't deny that.

"It looks like I solved the mask mystery." He teased. "Naruto would be jealous, but I won't say a word."

"It looks like neither of us kiss and tell."

"Well there isn't much to tell, Kakashi-San. Did you need details?"

"I'd rather find out what you're like in bed on my own."

"Very funny, Kakashi." Iruka spoke in the most bored tone he could muster up. "I think the bedroom is the one place where I'd have the upper hand on you."

"Maa, you're awfully confident in yourself~ I like that in a man."

Iruka had thought Kakashi was just being an ass before. Now he was genuinely curious. Beforehand, he was pretty convinced Kakashi was straight. Though he never saw him with anyone to being with, it was probably stupid of him to assume in the first place.

"I wasn't aware you were interested in men, and here I thought your visit was to talk about our upcoming mission?" He questioned. "So tell me Kakashi, why exactly are you here?"

"I had wanted to discuss the finer details of things. Like our sleeping arrangements and our schedule once we arrived. I may be the team captain, but I do appreciate your input." Kakashi told him. "You're a petty big piece of this mission. You can track our enemies without having to be close to them."

"As I said before, it's further developed but I wouldn't say it's at it's full potential. I can only track as far as 50 meters without straining myself."

"That's still impressive."

"Yes, but.." there was always a but. "I can only maintain it for an hour, no longer. It'll be something I can only use so often."

Kakashi understood. The other man wasn't in anbu or a jonin, and his lack of missions didn't require him to fully develop his sensory skills to begin with. They'd have to learn to work around Iruka's limits. The last thing anyone in Team Kakashi needed was for Iruka to hurt himself or become chakra depleted before they could gather any proof.

Along with the finer details Kakashi did want to discuss their targets. They were both chunin rank, born in Earth country only months apart. Kakashi assumed they may have been childhood friends, or simply two men trying to make some serious money off of black market chakra pills. It was suspected they were crafting them somewhere on the outskirts of Tea Country and setting up various meet points across the borders and hiring other shinobi to push them into the surrounding countries.

All team Kakashi needed to do was gather solid evidence that illegal activity was happening. It sounded simple, but it never was with any of them involved. Everything could go sour rather quickly if they were caught. The team captain was the one who made sure that wouldn’t happen. Kakashi hated having that responsibility.

He did have a plan though, just like he always did. It was a rough sketch of a plan, but it was better than nothing.

If Iruka could successfully identify both of the enemy nin they were tracking, Kakashi wanted him to keep a safe distance and track them for as long as possible without injury. Either Naruto or Sakura would catch them with the camera or tape recorder proving they were pushing the pills illegally. Again, it sounded simple but it never was. Nothing was ever that easy for Kakashi.

Iruka suggested the ninken.

"What of them?"

"Who could say no to a stray puppy?" Iruka had a devious look in his eyes. "I mean, if a lost dog was following you around would you kick it away?"

Kakashi couldn't imagine doing such a thing!

"Exactly!" Iruka said. "They could prove to be very useful. They probably shouldn't talk though, that'll blow everything out of the water."

"I like the way you think, Iruka-sensei."

That Iruka was full of surprises. Kakashi loved it.

—

Nighttime came like it always had and Iruka fell into his usual routine. He cleaned up after dinner- Naruto and Sakura were nice enough to stop by. Iruka told them what he and Kakashi had spoken of to keep his former students up to date.

He showered before bed and had his cup of tea before formally calling it a night. Just as he went to flip off the lights there was a knock on his door and a warm chakra coming from the other side. He closed his eyes for a second to get a sonar image. A pale shade of blue with a soft but erratic hum to it. It was Fukimo.

"Ah, fukimo-San! I was just about to call it a night. Is everything okay?"

She looked a little nervous, there was a soft blush on her cheeks. "Well, I was hoping I could come in.."

"I.. sure.."

How could Iruka say no to such a pretty face?

"I do have a mission to leave for at dawn, if you're wondering why I'm going to bed so early." Iruka didn't want to sound rude, he was just being factual. She didn't seem to mind.

"I tried to stop by earlier but felt the presence of Hatake-San and figured that's why he was over." She took a seat beside Iruka on the couch. "You two usually talk about mission stuff, no? He's always holding you up the lines at missions desk just to talk to you. Hatake-san must like the sound of your voice. And.. Naruto May have told me you were mission bound tomorrow."

"He has a big mouth." He laughed. "Not surprised though. Where were you that you bumped into him?"

"I was walking back from the market and happened to see him. He was shopping with a young kunoichi. A very pretty young girl."

"He likes her very much."

"I can tell." Fukimo cleared her throat. "You know, last night was amazing.."

"It was." He put it simply.

"I wouldn't mind it again, but.."

"But what?"

Iruka already knew where this was heading. His chest tightened at the thought.

"I don't want anything too serious right now. I just got out of a pretty shitty relationship." She intertwined her fingers with Iruka's. "I like you a lot, but I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

"Fukimo, since we're being honest I should tell you I've never been romantically interested in women.  It's nothing personal. I didn't know how to tell you before."

"Ah, that explains why you've been spending so much time with Hatake-San lately. I see you both walking back from the academy some days. And you eat ramen together at night." She laughed gently and scratched at her cheek. "Maybe I should just-"

"Kakashi and I don't spend much time together, really. He’s always on missions and I’m busy with the academy. We’re old friends, you know. Most of our time spent together consist of updates on Naruto. And.. well, there's a little bit more to the story but nothing like that. We aren't a couple. We’re friends."

Iruka didn’t 100% believe his own words, and by the look on fukimo’s face she did not either. They really weren’t a couple, but now that Iruka knows Kakashi may be interested in men his mind had pondered on it all evening.

"He seems to be rather fond of you, Iruka. I can see why." She said. "I may or may not have talked to Kurenai about it.."

"Kurenai?" Iruka blinked in surprise.

He knew the two were friends but didn't consider they'd use Iruka as a topic of conversation. There really wasn't much to say about the teacher, but If fukimo liked him it made sense she’d talked to a good friend of hers about it. Still, the news was a little shocking.

"I had asked her if you were seeing anyone and she said Kakashi had his eyes on you, or something along those lines." She informed him. "I guess she's aquatinted with Hatake-San. Kurenai told me he has feelings for you."

"That... is the first I've ever heard of that.." 

Two surprises in one day. Not only had Iruka been wrong about Kakashi, he clearly didn’t seem to know him at all. Iruka made a mental note to talk to Kakashi about it later, but how would he even bring it up? The conversation would have to wait, though. The mission was first priority, but if Kakashi really did like him.. what did that mean? 

The more Iruka thought about it, the more he realized that he should have noticed sooner. He had also forgotten Fukimo was beside him until she squeezed his hand gently and continued to speak.

"But when you came to my home, and the way you touched me, I... I thought maybe I still had a chance with you. That maybe it was one sided between you both." Her head was hung low. "But now that you know.."

"As of right now, that changes nothing." Iruka lifted her chin and kissed her softly. "He never told me he had feelings for me. I have no way of knowing if his feelings are still the same today. Until then I can give you something casual.” 

"No strings attached?" She asked. 

"No strings attached."

Fukimo was happy, but deep in her heart she knew better. Kakashi was everything she wasn't. But with Iruka kissing her the way he was, she knew she'd forget at least for the night. Even if she'd have to let herself out in the morning when she woke not knowing when Iruka would return.

He’d be spending the mission with Kakashi. It was likely there wouldn’t be another night after this one. She pushed those thoughts into a dark part of her mind and kissed Iruka like it would be their last time. 

  
—

  
Team Kakashi met at dawn at the northern gates. Sakura and Naruto were waiting when Iruka arrived, no one was surprised that Kakashi was the last to show twenty minutes later than expected. Really, that was early for him. Naruto complained only a little less.

The travel to Tea Country wasn't a short one. It took about four days on foot to reach their destination. That wasn't so much of a big deal, but with the hot weather it would suck for the first two days at least. They'd be sweating like pigs and they'd all have to listen to Naruto tell them how hot it was. Kakashi would be red and sticky. Sakura's hair would get frizzy. Iruka was in the same boat as her.

The last mission Iruka had been on with Kakashi was a constant reminder of how thing could go wrong in the blink of an eye. It was just an ambush on their way home that cost their teammate, and Iruka's good friend, his life. 

Tetsu was a newly appointed jonin. He was tall and lean like Kakashi was, with olive skin and pretty green eyes. He had a small scar that bisected his lower lip and chin, but it was so fitting on him. He kept his hair short but it was spiky and untamed most days. Tetsu often looked tired and grumpy, but he was a good guy and a friend to both Kakashi and Iruka.

The enemy nins flanked them from behind that night. Five against three wasn't a fair fight to begin with, and they all seemed to be of jonin strength and intelligence. Three of them were of earth nature, while the other two were deathly precise with their fire nature abilities.

One woman was skilled with a katana and launched forward at Kakashi, who held her back with a kunai. Her partner tried to get him from behind but Tetsu's clone had knocked him off balance and sent an array of senbon into various pressure points. The nin bled out slowly.

That was one enemy down.

Kakashi defeated the woman with some struggle. She managed to get a couple of slices on his torso with her poison dipped blade. He could feel himself get woozy as they fought. His eye sight started to drift  in and out. Everything around him was a blur. By pure luck he was able to dodge her attack, roll and grab her from behind to slice her throat.

That was two enemies down.

Iruka was cornered by two men who looked to be twins, both fire users. He'd dodged a few Justus but they left him with a couple new burn marks on his skin. When the taller of the two men approached him, they engaged in hand to hand combat. The enemy nin packed a lot of force behind his punches. Just one hit sent Iruka flying when he failed to block it. His back hit the bark of an oak tree and knocked the wind right out of him. He didn’t react fast enough to send chakra to his back to block out the force of himself hitting the tree. He could feel his back begin to ache and bruise. Iruka was a big trouble.

Thankfully Tetsu was around. He was skilled in genjutsu and placed the twins under a spell. The tree behind Iruka's back sprouted branches that latched onto the attacker's and squeezed the life out of them. A thin branch pierced through their hearts as a precautionary measure.

That left them with one enemy.

She was hiding somewhere in the wooden area around them. The team regrouped and covered each other's blind side. If she attacked from any angle someone was bound to see. Iruka was using his sending ability but couldn't put a definite pin point on her location. There was a hum of chakra coming from their left but it was faint and hard to track, it was almost useless to the team. Iruka knew he should save up the energy for the actual fight and wait for her to emerge. His ability wasn't helping in the situation. It was still underdeveloped and he was still in the learning stage, it was to be expected.

The kunoichi made her grand appearance with a jutsu that sent a massive shockwave through the ground underneath them. Suddenly the earth around them began to crack and bend in shape, making it hard to concentrate an even chakra distribution to their feet. Kakashi looked over at his teammates who also struggled to stand still. He had to give them orders. It was his job as the captain.

Everything around them went silent and the group seized its movement. The silence was unnatural and deadly. Iruka couldn't even hear his own thoughts. Was it an audio-type prowess? Did the enemy nin posses some kind of kekkai genkai that inhibited others sensory abilities? Iruka was unable to track her before, but now he couldn't even hear the sound waves of her chakra.

Kakashi knew he wasn't up for a fight. That poison alone was kicking his ass. He couldn't hear anything at all, and his eye sight was far from efficient. Even his sharingan was acting up. It swirled out of control and pulled tightly at his chakra. The copy nin was out for the count. It was a poison he'd never encountered or had the chance to train his body to handle. There was no telling if it would kill him quickly or even kill him at all.

"The poison in my system is rendering me useless." Kakashi signaled to his teammates in Konoha hand signs. They nodded their heads to show they understood. "Do what you have to. Protect the scroll."

With a sudden ear shattering sound, the three men fell to their knees with hands other their ears. A malevolent laugh boomed from behind them.

"This is fun, isn't it?" Her voice was sinister as she spoke. Another deep laugh rumbled from her belly. "Killing off your senses and then watching you bleed out. It's beautiful, don't you think?"

The earth shifted under then again and the cracks in the forest floor began to secrete a thick gas the clouded around them. With what little energy and chakra Kakashi had left, there was something he had to do! There was no way in hell the clouded gas around them wasn't poisonous. With what strength he he could use, Kakashi flashed through the hand signs of a wind jutsu the cleared the smoke away, but slowly it started to reappear. They had to move fast.

Tetsu grabbed Kakashi who could barley move on his own, Iruka followed closely behind as they ran back towards Konoha. She's had to leave her safe position and fight them head on. That was the plan. She was hiding somewhere in the trees waiting to ambush them single handedly.

They ran for an hour before reaching an old abandoned anbu station. They'd finally made it into the borders of fire country. Only a days worth of travel until they reached home. But with Kakashi injured and Tetsu and Iruka both low on chakra they knew it'd be longer.

Tetsu placed Kakashi down on the old bed.

"Look over his wounds, Iruka. There should be a medical kit somewhere. I'll survey the area. Just get him stable and we'll leave in the morning."

"But.. that woman!"

"She'll attack us, I know. But our captain is of no help to us in his current state." Tetsu said. The man was clearly on edge by the way he was pacing the room. "We need him too, Iruka. Just do your magic."

"I'll try my best.."

Iruka wrapped up and stitched what he could. Kakashi's shoulder had seen better days. He bound it just enough where the copy nin still had mobility but it was securely in place. Iruka didn't think it was broken, just misplaced and painfully swollen. It was unfortunate that Kakashi had experienced worse pain the past, but he would just have to deal with it until they were home.

While running away from the fight Iruka had been caught in a little trap that broke his ankle. The enemy nin had caught his foot in the earth and crushed it. Iruka was positive the whole foot was useless, his toes were broken too. The bones in his foot splintered at the very least. He couldn't put any pressure on it, but used some chakra to keep himself running.

Tetsu was beat up from the fight, but managed to get out with nothing more than bruises and a couple of deep cuts that Iruka patched up. In return, Tetsu wrapped up Iruka badly broken ankle and foot the best he could. The chunin had to guide him through the steps, but he figured it out.

"Thank you, Iruka." Tetsu smiled weakly and he finished wrapping the bandages.

"I should be thanking you."

"No, just.. thanks. For patching me up, and for patching up Kakashi." He said. They both looked over to see their sleeping captain. "Shit is gonna go south sooner or later, but I just wanted to let you know I'm thankful for you."

"Tetsu.." Iruka choked down his blush. He knew the other man had feelings for him even though he was dating Mizuki, but they remained friends. "We're friends. When we get back home we're gonna get drunk and eat plenty of ramen."

"I like the way that sounds." Tetsu was gently stroking his thumb over the bandages on Iruka foot. The injured body part was resting in Tetsu's lap.

  
It was well into the night when they were attacked. Iruka and Tetsu were immediately on high alert, but Kakashi was in a deep sleep. The woman brought back up. They were surrounded.

By her side were two men, both short and stocky with masks covering their faces. She was tall and lean with a heavily scarred face. When she smiled, it was as sinister as her laugh had been. On their headbands was the symbol of rock.

The men charged forward at Iruka and Tetsu and were clearly skilled taijutsu users. With Iruka ankle, he was no match for even a new genin at this point. He blocked a few hits and kicks, but was knocked back easily. He used a smoke bomb to by him a few seconds to sneak around to the back of the other man with himself and a clone to drive two poisoned kunai into the back of his neck and spine. He dropped to the forest floor with a heavy thud.

Iruka looked over to see Tetsu standing over the dead body of the other man. There was blood on his hands and blood seeping out of the enemy's gut. Tetsu could harden his skin and use his hands as blades. It was pretty cool, Iruka thought, but scary to see in the battlefield. Ripping through skin and bone wasn't pleasant to watch, and probably terrifying to do. He didn't envy the ability.

The women wasn't impressed. Her anger was clear on her face as she scowled back at the two Konoha nin.

She flipped through a few hand signs that enlarged her fists and turned them to stone. That wasn't a punch any of them were trying to get hit by. She looked quickly between them both and then locked eyes with Iruka: the weaker target.

Just as before, Iruka found himself stuck in place by the earth. While they weren't looking, or maybe just didn't notice, she had put Iruka in place with the same earth jutsu as before. He couldn't move. She was flying at him with a heavy stoned fist and there was no way for him to dodge it.

Tetsu had always been heroic by nature, but seeing the man he loved about to die wasn't something he could tolerate. Without truly thinking about his actions he pushed all his remaining chakra to his feet and ran to dodge the fist from hitting Iruka. Tetsu made it just in time. Her heavy fist connected with his gut and pierced straight through, it just stopped before reaching Iruka's chest. She pulled it out and Tetsu fell back into Iruka arms.

His blood was everywhere. On her hand- now back to a normal size, on Iruka's upper body. His shirt was now stained with the blood of Tetsu. There was a gapping hole from where her punch connected. He was alive simply from his stubborn nature. Tetsu turned his head to look at Iruka.

"Why?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Iruka screamed as he held on to Tetsu with trembling hands. There was too much blood and too little skin and muscle to hold together. There was no way to stop the bleeding. Iruka had to sit there and watch as he died in his arms.

"Iruka.. I’m Sorry" he breathed out. "Some people are just worth dying for."

Tears streamed down Iruka's face as anger and sorrow flooded over him. He watched as Tetsu's eyes went blank and rolled into the back of his head. His body went slack as Iruka held on to him tighter.

He felt a surge of chakra that sounded and felt like Kakashi's. Iruka looked up at the woman to find a ball of blue, crackling electricity being plunged through her chest. Kakashi stood over her body as it fell with an expression Iruka couldn't quite place. He looked angry, that was for sure, but also guilty and sad if Iruka was reading what little of Kakashi's face was shown correctly.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Was all Kakashi said as he plucked Tetsu out of Iruka's arm and carried him back into the cabin. Iruka still couldn't move, but moments later Kakashi was there to help him up with blood stained hands. The jutsu died along with the woman.

Tetsu's blood was everywhere Iruka looked. Everything was red and smelled of iron. He had to exit the cabin just to vomit a handful of times. He stripped off his clothing and burned them in the woods. Thank god for the extra uniforms he packed.

Kakashi had heard Tetsu's dying words before blowing a chidori through that woman's chest. He had a high respect for Tetsu as a ninja and a man outside of the battlefield. He'd been on missions with Iruka before but they'd never talked much personally. If someone like Tetsu, who usually didn't trust others and considered himself a loner, thought someone like Iruka was worth dying for then Kakashi clearly had the wrong impression of the chunin. As he laid Tetsu's body down he promised the man he'd look over Iruka and protect him. If there was one thing Kakashi could do right it was to keep a promise.

He carried Iruka home after that mission. Everything after that was eye opening. Kakashi knew exactly what Tetsu saw in Iruka: everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Iruka, am I right?!  
> I know he’s my OC but can we show my man Tetsu some love?! 
> 
> I hope the poem at the beginning of the chapter makes sense after reading it all. Actions speak so much louder than words as they say. 
> 
> Tetsu LOVED Iruka, I wanted to make that clear, and after that day Kakashi could see why with his own eyes. Kinda sweet, ain’t it? 
> 
> Incoming: Protective Kakashi!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the long awaited update!

* * *

 

_How is it so easy for you_

_to be kind to people he asked_

_milk and honey dripped_

_from my lips as I answered_

_cause people have not_

_been kind to me_

_\- Rupi Kaur_

 

* * *

 

 

  
Right before entering Tea Country everyone traded in their shinobi gear for civilian clothing, given to them by Tea Country officials so they could blend in easily. They were only eight miles from the home they'd be staying in.

Their clothes were earth toned and light. Mostly flat shades of brown, dark green and orange. They weren't flattering colors, but that didn't matter.

Sakura had on her dark brown wig to cover her naturally pink hair. Naruto has on the dark green hat to cover most of his hair and they all had on some kind of make up to change their facial appearance. Kakashi had a scarf wrapped around the bottom half of his face with a contact over his sharingan. His scar was concealed. As was Iruka's and Naruto's markings on his cheeks. To change it up a bit, Sakura had her eyelids painted gold.

The home was small with a decent size garden in the back yard, it was fenced off. They were a mile from downtown where the marketplace and various restaurants and clubs. Iruka was excited to find out there was a hot springs not too far away, too. There wouldn't be any time for that kind of relaxation unless there was a tip of Remi or Rei being spotted there. Iruka hoped so.

Kakashi summoned his ninken before they crossed the borders to keep watch around the house. They'd have to act civilian though, so no talking allowed. He took Iruka's idea into consideration and asked Pakkun to play the part. He'd be playing stray and trying to get some information out of the two and report back to Kakashi and his team when possible. The old pup was smart enough not to get caught.

Bull was surprisingly lovable. Every chance he had the dog was rubbing up against someone's leg begging for food or belly rubs. No one could say no to him except for Kakashi. He’d seen all of Bull’s tricks throughout the years.

The people who hired them were nice enough to leave them some food and enough native money to fill their kitchen. They were all thankful for that. The money should last them a while if they’re frugal.

Iruka sent out Naruto and Sakura with Bisuke by their side. He scribbled out a list of food and warned them not to blow their cover. Well, more Naruto than Sakura but the warning was needed. Even the smallest detail could blow up their spot.

"Takeshi-kun.." Iruka yawned as he walked over to his fake husband. "With the kids gone we have some time alone."

"Oh, Ichiro-chan~ are you suggesting we get some sleep?"

"Yes." That was exactly what Iruka was getting at. They hadn't slept in over twenty hours. The two would be sharing a bed and a room, but at this point that was a minor detail. Sleep was more important. The kids were more than capable of buying food and then fending for themselves. Naruto had bragged about his cooking abilities and as long as he didn't burn down the house, Iruka was fine with him cooking.

The two laid on the mattress in their temporary room. It was just big enough for them both and bull who nudged himself between them. He really was a big baby. The pup nuzzled his head into Kakashi's side. It wasn't long before he started to snore. Iruka wasn't far behind him.

Kakashi looked over at them both. Bull and Iruka both snoring and the ninken was starting to drool. It was oddly charming, but also a little gross. Kakashi's shirt would be soaked by the time he woke up because of bull. There wasn't a formal washer and drier in their temporary housing either, he'd have to hand wash and hang his clothes on the line to dry. Just lovely.

—

The marketplace was nowhere near as lively as Konoha's. Sakura and Naruto were able to navigate through the pathways without bumping into too many people. Overall, the shopkeepers and costumers were very sweet and talkative. They noticed the two newbies and welcomed them with open arms.

The bakery shop let the teens try their famous yeast rolls. Naruto's mouth watered just at the smell! It didn't even do It's taste any justice. He convinced Sakura to buy a dozen for dinner time. After trying one for her own she couldn't dream of saying no.

As expected, Tea Country was famous for its tea. It was only right they stopped into tea shops to browse and sample what sounded interesting.

Sakura preferred an herbal or green tea, and the walls of the shop were filled to the brim of teas she never heard of! There were herbal teas with rose hip, ginger, hibiscus, and peppermint to name only a few. There were all different kinds of green tea, too. Fukamushi sencha, genmaicha, tencha, bancha and many more! Her eyes almost popped out of her head. Sakura was in her glory. She convinced Naruto to buy a few flavors so they could enjoy tea in the morning. Naruto couldn't say no when she mentioned how much "Ichiro-san" likes tea.

With what money they had left they bought some chicken, potatoes and a few vegetables. There was enough for a couple nights worth of dinner. Iruka informed them that the money they would be getting was limited. If the mission took longer than expected, Tea Country couldn't support them financially without notice. One of them would have to get a job. Sakura noticed a flower shop on the way home, she had some experience from hanging around Ino's shop.

Naruto looked for a ramen stand but couldn't find one. If he had to work anywhere that would be the place! It would be no match for the ramen back at Ichiraku's, but making good ramen for a living was him dream job after becoming Hokage!

 

Iruka woke to the smell of food. He was also really warm and comfortable only to find himself cuddled around Bull's sleeping form. Kakashi was no longer beside them.

He stumbled into the kitchen still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Sakura was mixing something that smelled delicious inside of a wide pot. With another deep breath Iruka concluded it was chicken soup. Naruto insisted that he helped Sakura make it. He chopped up the vegetables for it and helped her with the seasonings.

Kakashi was seated at the table with his face between the pages of a book. Iruka remembered seeing a bookcase in the living room as he walked in. The reading material was not what everyone was used to Kakashi reading, it was an old hard covered book that looked worn at the seems. It'd been read many times by the look of things. The way Kakashi's eyes scanned the pages, it must have been interesting.

"What're you reading, Takeshi-kun?" Iruka sat beside him and pretended he was trying to peek.

"The Dawn of Ravens. A murder mystery." He answered as he turned the page. "A lot of blood. A lot of murder. A lot of mystery."

"You've always been a strange man..."

"You don't seem to mind it, Ichiro-san."

"You'd be boring if you were normal."

Kakashi just shrugged at that. "It is true that you're not attracted to normal."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He narrowed his eyes towards the jonin.

Kakashi simply pointed at Naruto, who wasn't doing anything too weird at the moment but Iruka got the hint. He didn't ask anymore questions.

Dinner was nice, the meal was even better. Naruto has a proud look in his eyes As he watched Iruka eat. It was a little weird, but Iruka knew the boy just wanted to make him proud. Iruka was more proud than Naruto could imagine.

Kakashi was as sneaky as ever. The kids blinked and he was done eating. The surprised and shocked look on their faces almost made Iruka choked on his food! At least dinner would be an interesting part of this mission.

 

—

Iruka took Naruto out the next day for lunch. It was around the time Remi and Rei usually appeared at Tamuki’s. The sun was high and the sky, but it wasn't too hot. They both had on a light jacket to defend themselves from northern winds. Every now and again a gust of wind from the land of iron would find its way to Tea Country, sending a cold chill down everyone’s spine.

Remi was a tall, muscular man with dark skin and a bald head. He had a distinctive scar on the his left cheek that reached down the side of his neck. He had sharp crystal blue eyes. Remi was easy to spot in a crowd.

Rei on the other hand was an ordinary looking man who could blend into any crown. His hair was cut short, a rich brown color and he had half lidded dark eyes. There were no visible scars or tattoos on his body. His simple looking face and attire would make him hard to spot, but the two were often by each other's side. If Remi was with anyone it was Rei. Though on Remi’s profile it mentioned about six months ago he was often seen with an attractive young woman with similar eyes and skin. They were not sure of the relation between the two, but she hadn’t been spotted around Remi since then. That woman may have been a family member or a lover. Iruka made a mental note to keep an eye out for any woman that fit that description.

Of course that made him think of Fumiko, but there were many other women with brown skin and pretty eyes. The world is small, but it wasn’t that small.. right?

  
Naruto had a confused expression on his face as he looked over the menu. There wasn't any ramen so the kid was lost. Iruka wanted to smack him with the menu but that would cause some unwanted attention. Their targets weren't in the restaurant yet, but it was only a matter of time.

"I don't know what to get, Ichiro!"

"Just get a sandwich, Niko. I don't know what to tell you."

"But... ugh. There's nothing I want!"

"Next time I'm bringing Sanna-Chan and you can stay at home with Takeshi and the dogs!" He warned. "Just.. put the menu down. I'll order for us both. You trust me, right?"

The question was rhetorical. Naruto trusted the man explicitly, no questions asked.

Iruka order them both a burger. Something simple and smothered in cheese like they both liked. It was nothing compared to the ramen they usually shared but the meal was good. Just as they were about to finish their targets walked in through the front entrance. Iruka looked up at the bell over the door dinged. His breath caught in his throat.

Iruka kicked Naruto under the table and signaled that their targets arrived. The boy gulped and slowly looked back to see both men sitting down at the booth behind them. Iruka noticed the small little pug by Rei's side. It was Pakkun. He nuzzled in next to him at the booth.

The didn't seem suspicious of the dog, that was a good start. The pup yawned and begged for food as some rolls were placed at the table. Rei couldn't resist and started to feed him. If only Kakashi were here to see it!

Naruto was visibly nervous. It was easy to understand why, but all they had to do was sit and listen. Iruka ordered some dessert to give them an excuse to stay a little longer.

With a deep breath Iruka took the opportunity to read their chakra. He closed his eyes and concentrated. It took him a moment to recognize their individual chakra sound and image but he found it. Remi's chakra was bold and loud, similar to Naruto's but much darker in color. Rei's chakra was tight and coiled up, a pale blue color that was an almost silent hum. Iruka was now able to track them within 50 meters. Part one was a success.

Remi was a loud man, there was need to fine focus any chakra to hear him speak. His voice was deep and boomed through the whole room. Rei was a little more soft spoken, and well spoken at that, but talked loud enough that Iruka could here. Then again, they were practically sitting next to each other. Their conversation wasn't much of anything at. A few jokes that really weren't funny, and Rei trying to convince Remi to buy something that wasn't red meat for once.

Iruka and Naruto stayed for a little white longer. Naruto was chatting up the waitress who was around his age to pass time, and she didn't seem to mind. She blushed and laughed as they spoke of mundane things. It please Iruka to see Naruto do normal teenage things like flirt. Though he was sure Naruto was just being himself. He had a lot of love for everyone around him.

When Remi and Rei got their checks, Iruka decided it was time to go as well. They said nothing of importance but he'd report back to their captain anyways. He tracked the men's chakra as they left. Iruka could only keep it up for so long, but he dropped the wavelengths between them once he got home. The two men had been moving south west towards another housing district. If Iruka were only closer and less tired he track them back to their residence.

"Pakkun should be reporting to you any time now," Iruka informed the Kakashi. "He was with them both at the restaurant."

"I made sure to tell him to back out the moment things get sticky. Once he hears anything good he's to report back to me. We won't see him for a few more days at least." Kakashi said. "Hopefully he can get a meet point out of them. We'll handle the details from there."

—

  
A few days passed with nothing from Pakkun. They'd spotted Remi a few times out on his own but he'd done nothing that raised suspicion. He was shopping at the marketplace, training with Rei in a secluded area of the park, or eating meals at a few local spots.

Rei was the one to look out for. He weaved in and out of crowds and sparked conversations with numerous people. He'd scribbled something out of a small piece of paper and passed it to a man in the crowd. Kakashi had almost missed it.

The other man was short and lean, Kakashi made his priority to bump into the guy, knocking the grocery bag in his hand onto the ground along with the paper. As he helped the guy clean up the mess and snatched the note and put it in his pocket. With an apology and a couple coins for bruises the other's fruit, Kakashi went on his way. He was meeting Iruka and Sakura at the park.

He had his camera strapped around his neck and ready to play his part.

Kakashi found his teammates sitting on a bench and watching the young children in the park flying their kites. In the distance, off to the west behind the shade of a few large trees, Remi and Rei were sparring. They exchanged some blows and dodged each other's fists as they fought. Though Rei was much smaller in size compared to the other, he was giving Remi a run for his money. He was fast and very light on his feet while Remi was slower but packed a heavier punch.

Iruka was watching them too. Sakura found herself looking back and forth between the children and their targets. It was hard to not fully focus on the sight of kids doing normal things- the things she never had a chance to do. The life of a shinobi started at a very young age. She wished she'd experienced more of a childhood.

There was no denying that Kakashi was staring. Everything about the moment was breathtaking. The trees were full and green behind him. The summer sun was casting such a beautiful glow over Iruka’s chestnut skin. A tiny bead of sweat formed on his temple. Kakashi watched it as it trickled  down his cheek. Oh, how he wished it were his fingertips instead touching Iruka's skin. Tetsu had been right before when he said Iruka was the embodiment of warmth.

He wanted this moment to last forever.

Kakashi snapped the photo.

"Takeshi?" Iruka had the most innocent look on his face. "Shouldn't you be taking photos of other things?"

"Only what I find interesting." He replied blandly, but snapped another photo of Iruka. "Or beautiful."

Sakura felt her cheeks warm. "Did you forget I'm here? Because I'm right here, you two. Seriously."

The mission was first priority. Kakashi knew that before but apologized anyways and continued to photograph different areas of the park. He snapped a photo of a boy with his kite. There were ducks by the pond, and a beautiful yellow bird that landed on an empty park bench that Kakashi had never seen before.

He inched his way closer to the two men sparring. After all, Yokoyama Takeshi has a knack for photographing shinobi during battle. It was the reason his family traveled so much. He lived for the trill of taking amazing photos that captured the heat of battle and all of its raw emotion. "Takeshi" had to get a photo of Remi and Rei! It was only right!

Kakashi allowed himself to be heard as he walked through the bushes. Remi immediately stopped what he was doing and looked in the direction of the noise. Rei suggested it was an animal and nothing to be worrying about until the sound of a camera shuttering shut down that thought.

They stalked towards the source of the noise. Kakashi pretending to sneak away but Remi grabbed him by the back of the collar and lifted him out from behind the bush.

"And what the hell do you think you're doing, boy?!"

"Oh.. hi!" He smiled as sweetly as he could. "I'm Yokoyama Takeshi, a photographer. I saw the both of you fighting and wanted a picture! Have you heard of me? Yes? No? I'm famous for taking photos of shinobi."

"Famous?" Rei looked him up and down. "I've never heard of you.."

"That's a shame. A real shame. I photograph only the best shinobi, you know. Even if you don't know me it's an honor to be my muse!"

"Don't sneak up on a shinobi, dumbass." Remi let go of his collar and wiped his hands clean. "You'll end up getting killed."

Kakashi noticed Pakkun cleaning himself by the tree Remi walked over to.

"Are you a shinobi, Yokoyama-kun?" Rei asked him. His voice was soft and full of curiosity.

"No, no.. but oh how I wish I could be! Only through my photos will I ever experience that life."

"Hm.. well even so, you should know better." He said. "Or at least ask next time."

Kakashi perked up at that. "You would allow me to photograph you again?! Ahh, you're a sweet man! I can tell!"

"We ain't doing it for free, Rei." The other man had his arms folded tightly over his chest. He looked pissed. "Stop being a big softy and tell that guy to fuck off. We have somewhere we need to be in an hour."

"You heard the guy.." Rei just shrugged. "Get lost."

"Right. My apologies." Kakashi bowed respectfully and walked away.

An hour, hm?

He had Iruka track them after they left the park. The pair stopped at somewhere on the outskirts of town where Iruka had known. There were other chakra signatures around that Iruka couldn't place but he had an image of Remi and Rei. The location wasn't in Iruka's mind yet, but he could calculate its distance. It was 37 meters exactly north east from where they were currently sitting in the park. They waited for Remi and Rei to leave before tracking them with Iruka's ability.

  
Kakashi referred to the map he stole from the travelers station downtown. His finger traced from their spot in the park to a few inches northeast. It leaded to the factory section of town where many of the locals worked either packaging tea, sewing clothes or butchering meat.

"What're they doing over there?" Sakura wondered.

"Maybe whoever they're working with, or working for, works at one of those factories." Iruka suspected. "That's the only solid lead we have so far."

"Well, lets dig deeper into who they know and go from there." Kakashi voiced his thoughts. "They have connections somehow. Them meeting in a place full of civilians can be a complete cover up. I noticed Pakkun with them. Let's wait for his return."

 Then Kakashi pulled the note he stole earlier that day from his pocket. “This May help us as well…”

 “What does it say?” Sakura’s ears perked up.

Rei’s handwriting was very neat, the characters were written in a small and compacted way. The note read: _southern dock, after dark, 750 yen._

 “This may just be a meet point.” Iruka blinked at the note as he read it again, but it just sounded too easy. He warned them all to be on high alert.

 

——

 

 

It was the night before their mission. Kakashi sat with Tetsu at a nearly empty bar nursing his third beer of the night. He considered Tetsu a friend of his, but Tetsu was more of a loner. He wasn't seen around many other people and preferred it that way. As decent of a man as he was, he had the sort of attitude that pushed people away. The only person he was seen with regularly was Iruka. That had always made Kakashi wonder.

He'd been on missions with Iruka before. He was a pretty good chunin but nothing special. The boy knew his place and showed respect for those of a higher rank but he had a habit of speaking his mind. As much as Kakashi admired that it wasn't always the right Time or place, but leave it up to Iruka to voice himself at the worst times. He seemed stubborn like that, but overall he was a team player if you could convince him the plan was sound. Iruka didn't like seeing others in pain but was quick to kill an enemy.

"So let me ask you..." Kakashi looked over at his friend. "What is it about Iruka that makes you wanna hang around him? I mean.. he's just a chunin.."

"Just a chunin...?" Tetsu wanted to laugh at that but didn't. He shook his head at Kakashi. "Nah, you wouldn't get it."

"Humor me."

"Iruka is the light at the end of the tunnel. You know, that thing you're searching for in the dark. That's him." Tetsu shrugged and chugged his remaining beer. "He's like air. You don't appreciate it until your gasping for your last breath. He's that something you didn't realize you needed to live."

"But isn't he with someone?"

"Yeah, that asshole Mizuki. Don't know what Iruka sees in that guy." He was visibly displeased. "He's just gonna break Iruka's heart."

"Never thought I'd see you fall in love." Kakashi commented. He couldn't see himself falling in love, either.

"I didn't think I had it in me until I felt his warmth."

"Warmth?"

"After Inuko died.. I lost myself.. I never thought I could love anyone ever again, but there Iruka was. He opened up his arms and embraced me with his warmth. I didn't want him to let me go. He's like the physical embodiment of home to me."

"Hm.."

"I will never understand how someone can open up their heart the way he does and expect nothing in return." Tetsu continued. "Iruka is the kind of guy who would let you drain him of all of his blood if you needed it to live. It takes a special kind of heart to do such a thing."

"That sounds stupid to me."

"That's because you've never been in love."

"Then I never want to be." He said. "To let someone drain me of all my blood in order for them to live? Is there really someone out there worth dying for?"

Tetsu smiled at that and ordered himself another beer.

"Didn't I tell you, Kakashi? Iruka is special. I know one day you'll see that."

"But he's just a chunin.." he heard himself saying again. He knew it was a stupid excuse.

"He's more than that. To wake up beside that man every day would be a blessing." Tetsu paused to take a sip. "I find myself wondering what it's like to be the one who makes him smile. That damn Mizuki doesn't know what a good thing he has."

Tetsu was making that disgusted face again, Kakashi noted.

"You're sounding like a character from icha icha. That's just super cheesy."

"Maybe so.." they both chuckled. "But what Can I say? It gives me something to live for."

"Something to live for..?" Kakashi mumbled to himself, but refused to give it much thought. All he knew was that he didn't have anything aside from his duty as a shinobi to live for. That was his fate.

—

  
When his eyes opened and fell upon Iruka he knew what Tetsu meant. It was like his whole world was staring back at him, except Iruka was still asleep and snoring with bull cuddled between them. Still.. he'd seen it with his own eyes.

Some people are worth living for, that's what Tetsu had said before. He called the man cheesy then but even he couldn't deny that waking up next to Iruka every day- even with his lips slightly parted and some drool on his chin- would be heaven on earth.

Kakashi imagined having someone to come home to. For the first time in way too many years there could be an actual person and not a potted plant waiting for him to return home from a mission. That's what Tetsu had been referring to. The light that Kakashi didn't know he'd been blindly grasping for was Iruka all along. What he needed most was a warm body to loose himself in after a tiring mission. He'd deprived himself for too long, but these kinds of feelings would only interfere with the mission. Kakashi needed to keep his mind clear.

When they got home he'd tell Iruka how he felt. Only then would he know if Iruka would open his arms wide and embrace Kakashi with his warmth the way he had with Tetsu.

Kakashi wished he recognized sooner just how cold he really was, but that only made him afraid.

Compared to himself Iruka was a fire.

There were parts of Kakashi that even he himself couldn't understand, but all he knew was that even though he was afraid of getting burned he couldn't stop himself from putting his hand in the open flames.

He'd never felt more alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Dawn of Ravens isn’t a real book (I don’t think) but it’s an original story that I’ve been working on. I’m nowhere close to finished, I don’t think I’ll ever post it but.. yeah...
> 
> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get caught, but Iruka was in for yet another big surprise. How does Tetsu tie into it all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow.. talk about taking forever to update a fic.. anyways, ENJOY

_my favorite thing about you is your smell_

_you smell like_

_earth_

_herbs_

_gardens_

_a little more_

_human than the rest of us_

_\- Rupi Kaur_

 

* * *

  
  
Two weeks went by with not so much as one word from Pakkun or a sighting of their two nins. The two were rarely seen around town, and considering Iruka couldn't track them very well they weren't close to the city.

The suspected meet point was just outside of Iruka's range, and when they tried to creep in closer Iruka couldn't sense them. They'd been about twenty meters away, well hidden in an abandoned factory basement. Naruto was complaining about the dust and Kakashi had to slap a hand over his mouth to keep him quiet, but there was nothing. It was like a chakra dead zone. Iruka was still trying to think it all over, he hadn't even felt his own teammates chakra while they were there. Something was definitely off.

"We'll have to come back late one night and and I can try and see what the problem is with my sharingan, but right now it may be too risky. There are people still around, even though you can't sense them." Kakashi had said.

The factory itself have have been abandoned, but the fishing dock was at the edge of a busy factory part of town, where most of the civilians in Tea Country worked. It was after hours, but there were bound to still be people walking about. They had passed some before slipping into the basement through a broken window.   


When Iruka picked up the wavelength of Remi's chakra He perked up instantly. He'd been sitting at a bar where Remi was often spotted it. He drew his attention back towards his beer as Remi sat down two stools away, the larger man asked for bourbon and waited quietly for the bartender to pour his drink.

There wasn't anything off about his chakra as Iruka scanned it mentally, just dark and rigged like it usually was, but he seemed calm as he chugged back his beverage. Iruka could relate to that feeling. He wasn't drinking anything strong, but he knew what it was like to have a drink after a stressful day.

A woman had nudged her way in between them both. She wasn't much to look at, but seemed to have an eye on Remi. She kept leering in his direction. Iruka couldn't decided if she hated the other man, or was trying to bed him. Possibly both.

Her chakra was... unnatural. That was the easiest way Iruka could describe it. Not only was her chakra agitated, it was sharp and uncontrollable, like she couldn't quite get a hold of it. As if the chakra wasn't hers..

Iruka gulped down the rest of his drink. He signaled the bartender for one more, he wouldn't be leaving any time soon. He did wish Kakashi was with him though, but they'd all been posted at a spot Rei and Remi may have been. Naruto was at the dinner, Sakura at the night club and Kakashi at the park. Iruka pleaded to go to the bar, he  needed a drink. Kakashi wasn't much of a drinker and the kids weren't old enough yet, so there was no issue.

It looked like Iruka hit the jackpot.

 

Sakura hated the club. Well, not really. She enjoyed the upbeat music and the big dance floor, but there was no real chance of her enjoying it since she was on a mission. Sure, she was dancing to the beat of the music and enjoying herself, but her senses were on high alert. She couldn't really take the edge off.

A few men, and even a few women to Sakura's surprise, asked her to dance but she turned them away. She hadn't realized before that women may have found her attractive too, that thought alone made her face a cherry red. It was a light bulb moment, really. The next girl who asked her to dance Sakura immediately said yes to, no hesitation.

The girl was her age, maybe a little older but not by much. Her name, from what Sakura could understand through the booming music, was Aiko. She was tall and slender, with light brown hair that rest beautifully on her shoulders. Her bangs covered most of her forehead but showed off her pretty bright blue eyes, they were round and so full of life. Her lips were full and painted a pretty shade of pink. Sakura thought how her lip color matched the color of her own hair. It looks so nice against her olive skin.

Sakura blushed even harder as their hands touched while they danced. And since when did she invest so much time into looking at another girl? A very attractive and well mannered girl at that. Aiko was a good dancer. She pressed their bodies closer as the music slowed down, but Sakura's heart races faster.

She'd never wanted to kiss someone so badly in her life.   
  


Kakashi was... bored. He'd been taking pictures of the sun set, but with the sun gone and moon making its appearance that really wasn't an option anymore. Though the moon was bright and there were a few baby ducks by the pond, Kakashi didn't have the motivation to move from his spot on the bench.

He started to look through the photos on his camera, the ones he taken of Iruka over the span of the last few weeks. Even around their shared home he'd snapped pictures of the other man, Kakashi couldn't help himself. He just looked so nice with his hair down! It wasn't pin straight as he'd thought before, but Iruka's hair was a little wavy, it was thick and full of luster. He'd constantly smell like the olive oil he ran through his hair every morning. After spending all day outside, Iruka would come home smelling like tea leaves and gardens. It was nice.

The more time he spent with Iruka the more he started to recognize his own feelings for the other man. Iruka really did feel like home to him. He'd watch most nights as Iruka would cook and the teens would bicker over nonsense, causing Iruka to yell at them to be quiet before the entirety of Tea Country would knock down their doors for being too loud. All of it was amusing to Kakashi, and at the same time it all felt natural. Being around Iruka had always felt like a natural thing to him. 

Kakashi's ears perked up as he heard the sound of a familiar voice. After a moment he concluded it was Rei, but the other voice who accompanied him was not Remi's, but a more female sounding voice. He did he best to look as if he were preoccupied with his camera, but he was finely tuned in on their conversation. From what he could make out, they were close by, somewhere in between the trees to his left.

"What about Remi?" The woman asked. Her voice was young, she couldn't have been any older than twenty. At least in Kakashi's mind.

"Shouldn't he know?" The young woman continued.

"He does know," Rei pointed out. "We're meeting a client in an hour. Now keep shut, please. I don't need you blowing our cover."

The rest of the conversation was too hush for Kakashi to listen on with a plain ear, he didn't want to risk using chakra and possibly being caught. He also didn't want to sneak in closer, even if he trust his own skills as a shinobi, he had teammates he needed to take care of as well.

They were meeting someone, a client, within the hour. That was a lead all in its own. For now he'd keep his distance, but if Rei and the woman moved, he'd have to follow- only after getting Naruto, who was most likely just as bored as he was.

Kakashi made way for the restaurant Naruto was posted at.   


 

Naruto was relieved to see Kakashi. He smiled as the older man walked in through the door and took a seat beside him.

"We'll be leaving soon. I suggest you get your check and pay now." Kakashi kept his voice bored and low.

"Why!?" Naruto was pouting. He'd been enjoying himself in the diner. "I just ordered an ice cream cone!"

"Take it to go. I have an idea for my next photo shoot. We just need to track down my models..."

"Oh.." Naruto took the hint and left his money on the table. He did, though, take the cone from the waitress and ate it as he walked out with Kakashi by his side.

Kakashi took a moment to fill him in on what he'd heard a short time ago. He'd sent Biscuit to retrieve Iruka. They'd been spotted walking with the dogs around town, so the ninken were a familiar sight to the townspeople. Iruka often has Bull and Biscuit in tow. The children loved to crowd around the pups and rub them behind the ears. The dogs were spoiled rotten, mostly from all of the kids and older men and women who fed them treats. It was actually kind of nice.

Kakashi had Shiba by his side in an instant, he's been roaming around the park smelling out what he could. Kakashi and Naruto followed Shiba as he ran down a narrow path that strayed away from the park and into the farming lands of the country. It was all tall grass, small wooden homes, and stretches of lands. Talk about hiding in plain sight. If Remi and Rei were hiding anywhere, it would be on the outskirts of one of the farms. A long road lead directly into the capital, it wasn't too long of a distance, especially not to a shinobi, and it was private. Farmers tended to their land and livestock and minded their own business.

Remi and Rei didn't bring many clients at once to this hiding spot, Kakashi assumed, and no one would notice a few different faces popping in and out of wherever the two where staying. It was perfect.

"The scent stops here," Shiba said softly, but just loud enough for the men to hear.

"I don't feel any chakra.." Kakashi didn't have a good feeling about this.

"Kinda like before.. in the factory district.." Naruto commented. He'd looked around them suspiciously, everything was too quiet and too still.

Kind of like...

"A genjutsu."

A low cackle was heard from behind them, both men snapped their necks towards the sound.

"Not quite.." the woman looked familiar, as if her face was one that was seen around the village. Her light eyes, dark skin and long hair.. yet it was different.

"Fukimo?!" Naruto gasped but Kakashi held him back before he could take a step forward.

"I think you're confusing me with my little sister," the woman just sighed and shook her head as she walked closer. "But you've cleared my suspicion as to who you are, Konoha shinobi I suppose? There'd be no other way you know that wench."

Kakashi and Naruto both cursed to themselves. They've been caught.   


Iruka knocked back another drink as he watched the woman beside him try to get Remi's attention. She would clear her throat and push her hair behind her ear while bagging her eyelashes, but Remi had taken no mind to her. He acted as if the fawning woman didn't even exist.

"Stop ignoring me, Rem." The woman finally said. Her voice was fairly deep and she sounded agitated, Iruka noticed that her chakra felt the same as she sounded.

"Just leave me alone, will you?"

"We need to talk."

"Not here, too many ears."

"Right, because you don't want people to hear how whatever you and Rei are doing is killing people... people like my husband."

Her unnatural chakra started to flare as her breath quickened. This lady was pissed, rightfully so, over the death of her loved one. Iruka presumed that maybe the two had been test subjects and that the chakra pills connected well with the woman beside him, but her husband couldn't handle the sudden influx of chakra and it killed him. Iruka knew he'd be upset if he were in her shoes.

Remi rabbed the woman's arm and dragged her off the bar stool. She protested but he had overpowered her and dragged her towards the door. Before Iruka could get to his feet to stop him, Biscuit was scratching at his leg. Iruka knew what that meant. He instead paid his tab and followed the pup to retrieve Sakura. 

She'd be outside of the club when the arrived, the young girl Aiko was by her said. They'd been chatting in a much more quiet place than on the dance floor and decided it'd be nicer to just enjoy each other's company, so they sat out under the stars and talked about themselves.

Aiko's father was a businessman. He worked in the tea trade, which to no surprise was big money in tea country, but her father had a bad habit of gambling too much of his earnings away. Overall he was a pleasant man, though. She said her father would get drunk and spend all his money playing poker, but thankfully he made enough to eat a decent chunk of his losses back. Sakura learned that Aiko's mother had left her and her father many years ago, she'd left on a personal journey to find herself, and Aiko hasn't heard from her sense.

It felt nice to have a friend, Sakura thought, but it's too bad it can't last much longer. 

Iruka interrupts them as they're talking but tells Sakura its a rather urgent matter. Sakura gives her new friend a quick hug before she leaves. Aiko blushes as she hugs Sakura back. She waived and smiled as the two ran off. For some reason Iruka thought that smile hooked familiar, and her bright eyes against her tanned skin. He pushed that thought into the back of his mind, he had better things to worry about.

Biscuit tracked the scents of the others until the reached a dead end.

"Their scents stop here.." the pup tried venturing further to see if he could pick up any scent. "There's nothing! I can't even smell the grass!"

"What the hell?!" Iruka couldn't sense any chakra himself. It was a dead zone, just like before.

"So many people experiencing my jutsu today, how lovely!" Remi’s voice boomed through the silence. "Do you like it, Konoha Shinobi?"

 _Our cover has been blown?! But how?!_ Sakura had a panicked look on her face, Iruka had once to match.

"How did you know?" Iruka asked.

"As if I could forget the face of the man who killed my sister." His tone was serious. Suddenly, he appeared out of nowhere, only inches away from Iruka's face. "Hatake Kakashi killed her. Now I'll kill you so he knows what it's like to loose someone he cares about."

"You have the wrong idea about him and I. We're friends, nothing more!"

"Sure." Remi's laugh was heinous. He grabbed Iruka by the throat and contracted his fingers around Iruka's through and continued to squeeze until Iruka was blue in the face.

"Let him go!" Sakura summoned her chakra and punched the larger man in the gut, but the chakra got absorbed instead of impacting him.

Remi laughed at them both, Iruka for passing out in his grip and at Sakura's surprised expression. He threw Iruka off to the side, he landed with a thud on the forest floor.

 _Where the hell are Kakashi and Naruto?!_ Sakura was stuck in a hard spot, if she couldn't use chakra she'd have to out smart Remi- which probably wouldn't be hard. Her surroundings weren't much help, though. An open field did not offer any hiding spots for sneak attacks. She took a deep breath and slid into a fighting stance. There was no way in hell she'd let anything happen to Iruka-sensei! And if Naruto and Kakashi were in danger she'd do whatever it takes to rescue them, too!

"Not so fast, Remi." The dark skinned woman from earlier sighed from behind him. "We have business to attend to. Take them both to the hideout. When Rei arrives, him and I will take care of Hatake."

"He's  _my_ kill!" Remi said through gritted teeth. "NOT YOURS!"

"Fine.." she shrugged plucked Iruka off the ground as if he were a pebble. "Young lady, it'd be easier if you just came with me so I didn't have to knock you out."

"I don't think so!"

But before Sakura could even blink the woman had teleported behind her and knocked her over the head. Everything around her had faded slowly. Sakura could have sworn she heard Aiko's voice in the distance calling her name. After Aiko's name slipped from her lips her eyes slid shut and her body went slack.

"Fuma, take them away." Remi stormed off in the opposite direction. "I'll go take care of Hatake and that uzumaki boy."

"So.... you won't kill Iruka?"

"Oh, I will. I'm going to beat that bastard to a pulp and tie him up so he's helpless and crying out as he watches me punch a whole through his lover's chest. I will avenge you, Re-chan."

Fuma hadn't been listening, when Remi looked back to see where she was, the woman was already gone.

"As if I expected her to actually listen, anyways."

 

Fuma took Iruka and Sakura to a small cave a few miles west. The cave was barely big enough for the three of them, and Fuma had clearly been hiding out here for a while. The opening was covered with over haning moss and twings, the inside of the cave had signs of living in it. Wrappers, burnt up logs and old water canteens were scattered around on the floor. There had been a narrow river just a mile or away from their location, Sakura had noticed the fish bones off to the side. 

She'd woken up well before Iruka, but it had been hours since they'd been taken. Sakura couldn't understand how and why their cover had been blown. Even if they had recognized Kakashi, the disguise was still solid. Kakashi didn't look like his normal self, so how?!

"Stop stirring," The woman warned. Sakura hadn't stiffened up so quickly ever in her life. Fuma was not a woman she wanted to mess with.

"S-Sorry.."

"How do you know Aiko?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Fuma glared. "How do you know my daughter?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Aiko-chan is.. your daughter?"

Fuma had darker skin than Aiko did, her hair was much shorter, curlier and lighter, but they both had the same bright eyes and full lips. Fuma was a beautiful, although scary and serious looking, woman. She hadn't seen the resemblance at first, but as she looked closer it was very obvious. The more she looked though, the more she saw someone else.

"So I wasn't crazy, I did hear her calling my name?"

"She chased after you, for some ungodly reason."

"Where is she now?" Sakura pushed herself forward from her awkward sitting position against the cold stone wall. 

Fuma looked up at the markings above her. "An exchange of information does sound like a nice thing, how about it?"

"I have nothing to tell you."

"Well, we wont know that until I ask, right?"

Sakura agreed, unwillingly.

"Why are you here? What are you searching for? And who is Tetsu Hiromara?"

"I can't tell you any of those things, I have no idea who Tetsu-san is."

Iruka had woken mere seconds before hearing Tetsu's name. The two women had been going back and forth about him for a few moments before Iruka founds the strength to speak.

"Tetsu was a man I was close to many years ago," He said, "He was a man who loved very deeply, almost too deeply."

The sudden memories of Tetsu's death brought tears to eyes. Till this day Iruka could not understand how one man was so willing to die so easily for me. Iruka was nothing more than a man.

"Why must you ask about him?" Iruka wiped his eyes and focred himself to sit up. Sakura was quick to be by his side to help him up.

"Tetsu was a traitor," She spat out. "He was supposed to be on our side, but.. tch.. you know what happened."

"What...?" Sakura looked between the two adults in the room. "What happened?"

"We sent out Rena to retrieve Tetsu, he hadn't contacted us in nearly a year. We had him placed in Konoha as our little spy many years ago, but around that time he went off the radar. Our organization has had an eye on Konoha for a very long time," Fuma said. "Rena engaged you three in a fight and lost her life."

"You three as in... Kakashi, Tetsu and you, Iruka-sensei?" Sakura looked at him with weary eyes.

"Yes."

"Tetsu was in love with Iruka, he died protecting him. Kakashi was the one to kill Rena, though. Remi wants revenge for that, so we sent out my pathetic sister Fukimo to get close to both Iruka and Kakashi to gather information."

"Fukimo-san?!" They both exclaimed.

"Remi is a persistent bastard," Fuma warned. "His goal is to kill you while kakashi is watching, but.."

"But?"

"I'm not going to let that happen."

Sakura and Iruka were both visibly surprised. Fuma softened the look on her face and let down her guard a little. She spoke aloud and told Aiko to come out of hiding. Aiko materialized our of the moss covering the cave opening, sakura gaped when she saw the young girl.

"I'm sorry I lied, Sanna-chan." Aiko frowned. "But when I realized where you were heading I knew it was no good, and to think I'd see my mother, too!"

"It's a long story, but my name isn't Sanna, it's Sakura. We're undercover." 

"Sakura-chan..." She let the name roll off her lips. "It's a beautiful name for such a beautiful young woman!"

"Alright, enough flirting!" Her mother warned with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. "Look, Tetsu was a good friend of mine. I'm doing this for him, got it?! And I was using Remi anyways, just like you both I'm undercover for... well, that doesn't matter. Our goals do intersect, though. They're creating chakra pills and giving them to civilians to give them power so they can form an army to rebel against Earth country. The land of Iron wants to stop that, considering we have plans of our own with Earth country."

"War?"

"No, we want to sign a treaty. We can’t sigh a damn thing if Earth Country gets destroyed."

"Then why the spies in Konoha?" Sakura asked. “Why plant Testu?”

"Why not? Every country has spies that live in other countries, don't think too much into it, kid!" 

Fuma was the opposite of Fukimo, Iruka thought, she was much more brass and bold, definitely more assertive and vulgar. She had no filter, but Iruka was growing to like it. 

Yet again, in some way, Tetsu was saving his life again. Iruka was far from deserving, but grateful. 

Now his biggest worry was Kakashi and Naruto. Where the hell are they, and are they safe? With Remi heading their way, Iruka wasn’t sure just how safe the two really were. Iruka hopes that maybe, just maybe, Biscuit would be able to pick up a scent.

**Author's Note:**

> All I wanted to write was a stupid little one shot of Iruka joining team seven on a mission and when I started writing I couldn’t stop. It turned into so much more! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter :) I’d love to hear your thoughts.


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